Prologue
This is where the pilgrims are going on their pilgrimage.
Where is the shrine of Thomas a Beckett/Canterbury?
"Rich in holy thought and work," this pilgrim is the only truly devout churchman in the story.
Who is the Parson?
The rioter who returns to town buys this in order to murder his friends.
What is poison?
The Wife of Bath has a lot of experience being a wife, as she has been married this many times.
These wars influenced English society and culture by exposing the English to other civilizations.
What are the Crusades?
Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in this language.
What is Middle English?
This character can be considered the leader of the pilgrims, and is the one who initially proposed the storytelling competition.
Who is the Host?
After the old man points the rioters towards where Death supposedly is, they find eight bushels of this.
What are gold coins?
The Wife of Bath's tale takes place when this famous mythological king was the ruler of England.
Who is King Arthur?
In medieval times, the social role of women was determined by the status of either of these two relatives.
What is their husband or father?
The Prologue starts at the Tabard Inn during this spring month.
What is April?
This woman is an animal lover who would cry if she saw a mouse in a trap and has small dogs with her.
Who is the Prioress/Nun?
The moral of the Pardoner's Tale is an exemplum (or lesson) against this vice.
What is greed?
Once the knight answers the queen's question, the old woman makes her request of the knight, asking him to do this.
What is marry her?
Effectively a hierarchy or caste system of overlords, vassals, and serfs, this was the social system of the medieval period.
What is Feudalism?
Chaucer uses these literary techniques to point out and make fun of the flaws of a variety of different people, but particularly the clergy.
What is satire or irony?
A large, strong man, this character was part of the trade class and "was a master hand at stealing grain."
Who is the Miller?
The rioters want to find Death and kill him in order to prevent this specific problem from killing more people.
What is an outbreak of plague?
The Wife of Bath mentions the story of Midas and his wife telling his secret to the water, implying that women are unable to do this.
What is keep a secret?
Because the massive amount of death resulted in a labor shortage, this event actually led to greater freedom and power for the lower classes.
What is the Black Plague?
Chaucer describes the appearance of the characters, like the Knight's humble clothes or the Pardoner's rat-tail hair, to highlight this information about the characters.
What is their morality?
Who is the Friar?
The soon-to-be-broken pledge that the rioters make swearing loyalty to each other and the greedy Pardoner preaching against greed are both examples of this literary device.
What is irony?
The Wife of Bath foreshadows the old woman's mysterious transformation by mentioning the disappearance of these supernatural figures.
What are fairies?
Thomas a Beckett's murder led to an increase in power for this institution.
What is the Church of Rome or the Pope?